Cavalcade (The 20th Century Fox Hour)
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| "Cavalcade" | |
|---|---|
| The 20th Century Fox Hour episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 1 Episode 1 |
| Directed by | Lewis Allen |
| Written by | Peter Packer Alistair Cooke |
| Based on | Cavalcade by Noël Coward |
| Narrated by | Michael Rennie |
| Produced by | Otto Lang |
| Original air date | 5 October 1955 |
| Running time | 60 mins |
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"Cavalcade" is a 1955 episode of the anthology TV series The 20th Century Fox Hour. It is an adaptation of the play by Noël Coward which had been filmed in 1933.[1]
It was the first episode of the series and as such was given a healthy budget and top cast, including two movie stars in the lead.[2] Th production was also included an introduction by Darryl F Zanuck, a behind the scenes tour of 20th Century Fox studios hosted by Joseph Cotten, and a preview of the Fox film The Tall Men.[3][4]
Premise[edit]
The story of a British family, the Marroys, from New Years Eve 1899 until 1933.
Cast[edit]
- Merle Oberon as Jane Marryot
- Michael Wilding as Robert Marryot
- Nora O'Mahoney as Ellen Bridges
- Noel Drayton as Alfred Bridges
- Victoria Warde as Margaret Harris
- Doris Lloyd as Mrs. Snapper
- Richard Lupino as Joey Marryot
- Jennifer Raine as Fanny Bridges
- Marcia Henderson as Edith Harris
- John Irving as Edward Marryot
- Carolyn Jones as Marcia Bridges
Production[edit]
It was one of the first adaptations of a Coward work on American television. Original reports in August 1955 stated that Alistair Cooke would do some of the adaptation.[5] Lewis Allen was given the job of directing in part because he was English.[6]
The budget of the production was $90,000.[7]
Reception[edit]
The Daily News said "save for Walt Disney's contributions, it was the most promising bid for the favor of the video audience made so far by a major picture studio."[8]
Variety said if Cavalcade "is something to go by, the series has the earmarks of a winner. Certainly, the show had a polish and pictorial quality that augured well for the future and reflected a thorough understanding for the unique and different 'needs of the tv screen." However the critic wondered why Cavalcade was selected as "it's an antiquated opus at best, and the telescoping into 40 or so minutes didn’t help it any. On the screen, the film carried massive sentimentality and it gained because of the full development of its characters. Obviously, this couldn’t be done on tv, even though the version... captured some of the original’s mood and feeling." The critic then allowed while the television version "lost something" by concentrating on the highlights of the play the producer and director "have to their credit a tv film of superior pictorial quality, with unusual depth and definition."[2]
References[edit]
- ↑ "WCBS Channel 2 - The 20th Century-Fox Hour - Premiere - Tonight promo for October 5, 1955". Daily News. 5 October 1955. p. 78.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Review of Cavalcade". Variety. 12 October 1955. p. 35.
- ↑ "GEORGE SANDERS TO BE VIDEO HOST / Cast as Narrator of Filmed Series, 'The Ringmaster.' Built on Circus Stories", The New York Times (September 1, 1955, p.46) Retrieved February 12, 2019
- ↑ Starr, Eva (12 October 1955). "Inside TV". Morning Call. p. 15.
- ↑ "Coward kicks off series". Daily News. 29 August 1955. p. 39.
- ↑ "An English story". Pasadena Independent. 3 October 1955. p. 43.
- ↑ "20th Century Fox Hour". Broadcasting Telecasting. 10 October 1955. p. 13.
- ↑ Gross, Ben (7 October 1955). "20th Century Fox Hour Opens with 'Cavalcade'". Daily News. p. 60.
External links[edit]
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